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Abstract:

A display module is disclosed which includes a display panel, a printed
circuit board, a flexible printed circuit board interconnecting the
display panel and the printed circuit board, and a reinforcing piece
interconnecting the display panel and the printed circuit board for
supporting the printed circuit board. The reinforcing piece prevents
drooping or shifting of the printed circuit board relative to the display
panel during assembly or transport, thereby preventing severed wires of
the flexible printed circuit board.

Claims:

1. A display module comprising: a display panel; a printed circuit board;
a flexible printed circuit board interconnecting the display panel and
the printed circuit board; and at least one reinforcing piece
interconnecting the display panel and the printed circuit board for
supporting the printed circuit board.

2. The display module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing piece comprises
a bottom polarizer, the bottom polarizer is adhered on a bottom surface
of the display panel, and a part of the bottom polarizer is extended
under and fixed on the printed circuit board.

3. The display module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing piece comprises
a top polarizer, the top polarizer is adhered on a top surface of the
display panel, and a part of the top polarizer is extended above and
fixed on the printed circuit board.

4. The display module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing piece comprises
a plastic sheet, and the plastic sheet interconnects a top surface of the
display panel and a top surface of the printed circuit board.

5. The display module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing piece comprises
a plastic sheet, and the plastic sheet interconnects a bottom surface of
the display panel and a bottom surface of the printed circuit board.

6. The display module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing piece comprises
a metal sheet, and the metal sheet interconnects a top surface of the
display panel and a top surface of the printed circuit board.

7. The display module of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing piece to
comprises a metal sheet, and the metal sheet interconnects a bottom
surface of the display panel and a bottom surface of the printed circuit
board.

8. The display module of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the reinforcing
pieces are disposed on one or more sides of the flexible printed circuit
board.

9. The display module of claim 1, wherein there is at least one lateral
gap between the least one reinforcing piece and the flexible printed
circuit board.

10. A display module comprising: a liquid crystal display panel
comprising a thin film transistor substrate, a color filter, and a liquid
crystal layer disposed between the thin film transistor substrate and the
color filter; a top polarizer adhered on a top surface of the color
filter; a bottom polarizer adhered on a bottom surface of the thin film
transistor substrate; a printed circuit board; and a flexible printed
circuit board interconnecting the thin film transistor substrate and the
printed circuit board, wherein the top polarizer or the bottom polarizer
comprises at least one reinforcing portion extending to the printed
circuit board, and the reinforcing portion is fixed on the printed
circuit board.

11. The display module of claim 10, wherein a plurality of the
reinforcing portions are disposed on one or more sides of the printed
circuit board.

12. The display module of claim 10, wherein there is at least one lateral
gap between the least one reinforcing portion and the printed circuit
board.

[0005] Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have been widely used in electrical
products in recent times due to the rapid progress of optical technology
and semiconductor technology. Moreover, with the advantages of high image
quality, compact size, light weight, low driving voltage, and low power
consumption, LCDs have been introduced into portable computers, personal
digital assistants, and color televisions, and are gradually replacing
the cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used in conventional displays. As a result,
LCDs have become the most widely used display apparatus.

[0006] An LCD includes the main elements of a display module, a backlight
module, and a frame. The display module includes a display panel, a
printed circuit board, and a flexible printed circuit board for
interconnecting the display panel and the printed circuit board. Because
of the limited strength of the flexible printed circuit board, the
printed circuit board easily droops or shifts relative to the display
panel, particularly during assembly or transport, such that the printed
circuit board hits other components. Furthermore, the concentration of
stresses at the interface between the printed circuit board and the
flexible printed circuit board during such drooping or shifting may lead
to the severing of wires of the flexible printed circuit board,
ultimately resulting in display problems.

SUMMARY

[0007] An aspect of the invention provides a display module having a
reinforcing piece for supporting the printed circuit board and preventing
the printed circuit board from drooping or shifting during assembly or
transport.

[0008] An embodiment of the invention provides a display module. The
display module includes a display panel, a printed circuit board, a
flexible printed circuit board interconnecting the display panel and the
printed circuit board, and at least one reinforcing piece interconnecting
the display panel and the printed circuit board for supporting the
printed circuit board. The reinforcing piece can be a bottom polarizer,
and the bottom polarizer is adhered on a bottom surface of the display
panel, and a part of the bottom polarizer is extended under and fixed on
the printed circuit board. The reinforcing piece can be a top polarizer.
The top polarizer is adhered on a top surface of the display panel, and a
part of the top polarizer is extended above and fixed on the printed
circuit board. The reinforcing piece can be a plastic sheet, and the
plastic sheet interconnects a top surface of the display panel and a top
surface of the printed circuit board or interconnects a bottom surface of
the display panel and a bottom surface of the printed circuit board. The
reinforcing piece can be a metal sheet, and the metal sheet interconnects
a top surface of the display panel and a top surface of the printed
circuit board or interconnects a bottom surface of the display panel and
a bottom surface of the printed circuit board. A plurality of the
reinforcing pieces may be disposed on one or more sides of the flexible
printed circuit board. There is a lateral gap between the reinforcing
piece and the flexible printed circuit board.

[0009] Another embodiment of the invention provides a display module. The
display module includes a liquid crystal display panel, a top polarizer,
a bottom polarizer, a printed circuit board, and a flexible printed
circuit board. The liquid crystal display panel has a thin film
transistor substrate, a color filter, and a liquid crystal layer disposed
between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter. The top
polarizer is adhered on a top surface of the color filter. The bottom
polarizer is adhered on a bottom surface of the thin film transistor
substrate. The flexible printed circuit board interconnects the thin film
transistor substrate and the printed circuit board, in which the top
polarizer or the bottom polarizer includes at least one reinforcing
portion extending to the printed circuit board, and the reinforcing
portion is fixed on the printed circuit board. A plurality of the
reinforcing portion may be disposed on one or more sides of the printed
circuit board. There is a lateral gap between the reinforcing portion and
the printed circuit board.

[0010] The present display module utilizes a reinforcing piece for
supporting the printed circuit board in order to prevent drooping or
shifting of the printed circuit board relative to the display panel
during assembly or transport, thereby preventing severed wires of the
flexible printed circuit board. The reinforcing piece can be a plastic
sheet or a metal sheet. The reinforcing piece can be a top polarizer or a
bottom polarizer, in which the top polarizer or the bottom polarizer has
at least one reinforcing portion extended to the printed circuit board.
The reinforcing portion can be adhered to or screwed on the printed
circuit board.

[0011] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description
and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended
to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a
part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the
invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the
principles of the invention. In the drawings,

[0013] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a
display module of the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of
the display module of the invention;

[0020] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of
the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the
drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a
display module of the invention. The display module 100 includes a
display panel 110, a printed circuit board 120, and a flexible printed
circuit board 130 for interconnecting the printed circuit board 120 and
the display panel 110. In order to prevent the printed circuit board 130
from drooping or shifting relative to the display panel 110 during
assembly or transport to thereby lead to severed wires of the flexible
printed circuit board 130, the display module of the present invention
further includes a reinforcing piece 140. The reinforcing piece 140
interconnects the display panel 110 and the printed circuit board 120.

[0022] The reinforcing piece 140 is utilized for supporting the printed
circuit board 120 in order to prevent drooping or shifting of the printed
circuit board 120 during assembly or transport. The reinforcing piece 140
is preferably made of material with enough rigidity for supporting the
printed circuit board 120 and preventing the printed circuit board from
drooping or shifting. The reinforcing piece 140 can be a plastic sheet or
a metal sheet. The reinforcing piece 140 can be disposed under the
display panel 110 and the printed circuit board 120, and in this case,
the reinforcing piece 140 interconnects the bottom surfaces of the
display panel 110 and the printed circuit board 120.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of
the display module of the invention. In this embodiment, the reinforcing
piece 140 interconnects the top surfaces of the display panel 110 and the
printed circuit board 120. The reinforcing piece 140 can be adhered on
the top surfaces of the display panel 110 and the printed circuit board
120. Alternatively, one end of the reinforcing piece 140 can be adhered
on the display panel 110, and the other end of the reinforcing piece 140
can be screwed on the printed circuit board 120 with a screw 150.

[0024]FIG. 3 is a top view of the display module 100 in FIG. 2. One or
more reinforcing pieces 140 can be disposed on one side or both sides of
the flexible printed circuit board 130. The one or more reinforcing
pieces 140 do not overlap the flexible printed circuit board 130 to allow
for easy assembly of the flexible printed circuit board 130. More
particularly, there is a lateral gap g between each of the one or more
reinforcing pieces 140 and the flexible printed circuit board 130 for
better positioning of the flexible printed circuit board 140 with an
apparatus.

[0025]FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of
the display module of the invention. The display panel 110 can be a
liquid crystal display panel. The display panel 110 includes a thin film
transistor (TFT) substrate 112, a color filter 114, and a liquid crystal
layer 116 disposed between the TFT substrate 112 and the color filter
114. The display module 100 further includes a top polarizer 160 and a
bottom polarizer 170 adhered on the display panel 110. More particularly,
the top polarizer 160 is adhered on the top surface of the color filter
114, and the bottom polarizer 170 is adhered on the bottom surface of the
TFT substrate 112.

[0026] Each of the top polarizer 160 and the bottom polarizer 170 has a
sufficient support ability and is not easily bent. Therefore the top
polarizer 160 and the bottom polarizer 170 can be utilized as the
reinforcing piece. For example, a part of the bottom polarizer 170
adhered on the bottom surface of the display module 110 is extended under
the printed circuit board 120 and is fixed on the printed circuit board
120. The bottom polarizer 170 has at least one reinforcing portion 172.
The reinforcing portion 172 of the bottom polarizer 170 can be adhered on
the printed circuit board 120. Alternatively the reinforcing portion 172
can be screwed on the printed circuit board 120 using a screw 150 as
shown in FIG. 4.

[0027]FIG. 5 is a top view of the display module 100 of FIG. 4. The
bottom polarizer 170 has one or more reinforcing portions 172. The one or
more reinforcing portions 172 can be disposed on one side or opposite
sides of the flexible printed circuit board 130. The one or more
reinforcing portions 172 do not overlap the flexible printed circuit
board 130 to allow for easy assembly of the flexible printed circuit
board 130. More particularly, there is a lateral gap g between each of
the one or more reinforcing portions 172 and the flexible printed circuit
board 130 for better positioning of the flexible printed circuit board
140 with an apparatus. The top polarizer 160 appearing in FIG. 4 is not
shown in this figure to simplify the illustration of the display module
100.

[0028]FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of
the display module of the invention. In this embodiment, the top
polarizer 160 is utilized as the reinforcing piece. The top polarizer 160
is adhered on the top surface of the display panel 110. The top polarizer
160 has at least one reinforcing portion 162 extended above the printed
circuit board 120. The reinforcing portion 162 can be screwed on the
printed circuit board 120. Alternatively, the reinforcing portion 162 can
be adhered on the printed circuit board 120 as shown in FIG. 6.

[0029]FIG. 7 is a top view of the display module 100 of FIG. 6. The top
polarizer 160 has one or more reinforcing portions 162 extended to the
printed circuit board 120. The one or more reinforcing potions 162 can be
disposed on one side or opposite sides of the flexible printed circuit
board 130. The one or more reinforcing portions 162 do not overlap the
flexible printed circuit board 130 to allow for easy assembly of the
flexible printed circuit board 130. More particularly, there is a lateral
gap g between each of the one or more reinforcing portions 172 and the
flexible printed circuit board 130 for better positioning the flexible
printed circuit board 140 with an apparatus.

[0030] The present display module utilizes a reinforcing piece for
supporting the printed circuit board in order to prevent drooping or
shifting of the printed circuit board relative to the display panel
during assembly or transport, thereby preventing severed wires of the
flexible printed circuit board. The reinforcing piece can be a plastic
sheet or a metal sheet. The reinforcing piece can be a top polarizer or a
bottom polarizer, in which the top polarizer or the bottom polarizer has
at least one reinforcing portion extended to the printed circuit board.
The reinforcing portion can be adhered to or screwed on the printed
circuit board.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described in considerable
detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments
are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims
should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained
herein.

[0032] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present
invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In
view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover
modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within
the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.